


Love Me In Circles

by TifosaAtHeart (F1_Fanatic)



Category: Ford v Ferrari (2019)
Genre: Angst, Car Accidents, Enemies to Lovers, F/M, Hurt/No Comfort, Slow Burn, Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms, i don't want to tag this because it would spoil too much but someone gets hurts very badly, i swear i have an obsession with Leo Beebe
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-25
Updated: 2020-05-25
Packaged: 2021-03-02 20:07:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,895
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24372538
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/F1_Fanatic/pseuds/TifosaAtHeart
Summary: Leo Beebe had always kept his guard up, always focused on getting the Ford Motor Company another step further. But when a new engineer walks into the team his whole entire world will demolish and get built again. And in Le Mans, Leo will have to confront not only Ferrari and their mighty race cars but also his own wants and fears.Basically, I rewrote the movie but hurt Beebe instead.
Relationships: Leo Beebe/Original Female Character
Comments: 2
Kudos: 6





	Love Me In Circles

**Author's Note:**

> I am hereby declaring Us by James Bay as the theme for this story.
> 
> Everything is strictly based on the movie and its characters, nothing to do with real life people.

“You're gonna get Castrol on that nice suit of yours.”

Leo shifts around from where he's tinkering with a tube of motor oil at the mischievous female voice. Evelyn is looking at him with a smirk on her lips and a raised eyebrow on her forehead, challenging him to come up with something equally witty.

He laughs, despite himself. “I'm pretty sure Castrol would make a fitting addition to my suit.”

Evelyn Dolan was the newest recruitment of the Ford racing team and unlike his other people, she had made an instant good impression to Shelby and his associates. She knew of technical stuff, she knew how to make a car faster and she certainly knew how to get to his nerves.

Leo didn't like the idea of a female engineer, didn't want a woman interfering with a project as significant for the Ford Motor Company as winning Le Mans. But her CV was flawless, her references impressive and, try as he might, his objections in the end had been counted as simply personal views and had for the most part been ignored.

He had welcomed her in Detroit with much caution to say the least and had wore a tight smile as he and Lee gave her a tour around the factory. He could tell she was already hating on him for that but frankly he could care less. If it was his call to make, she wouldn't even be standing here in the first place.

“Well, unfortunately for you, Mr Beebe, times are changing” she smiled at him as they overlooked the working platform underneath but he could see the dislike and the annoyance bubbling up underneath.

Leo propped his elbow on the rails and transferred his weight to the other leg, his diplomatic smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. “Ms Dolan, don't get me wrong but Le Mans is important for us. Last year, we had the best men and yet it turned out to be a disaster.” He lowered his voice at this point, as if he was sharing a secret, and tilted his head towards her. “Mr Ford wouldn't like a repeat of that.”

Evelyn, though, refused to have her proficiency questioned by a man that hardly had a clue about racing, and she folded her arms in her chest. “What makes you think I can't do better than those men?”

Beebe shrugged a shoulder, “I just don't believe that, as a woman, it's in your nature to fiddle with cars and engines, that's all.” He let out a small chuckle, emphasizing his point with a pair of raised eyebrows. “Hell, I'm a man and I can't even change a tyre in my own car!”

“I see.”

She was now staring at him with her lips pressed together in a thin line, breaking at a slight smile at the end, and Leo faltered, spotting traces of mockery in her gaze.

And then, as if to erase any little doubt he might have, she ghosted over to him, a full-on grin out on force, a cheeky sparkle in her eyes and her voice almost a whisper, and she patted his shoulder. “Good thing I can change enough tyres for the both of us.”

She was by Lee's side before he could blink, asking him to pick up where they left off, and Lee helpfully waved her at a direction. And Leo... Well, Leo couldn't really do much other than correct the lapels of his suit and trail after them with his back straight proudly.

He didn't like her and truth be told, he could have talked the Deuce into hiring someone more qualified for the job or come up with a good argument against her to have her kicked out of the company. But she wasn't his problem. She was Shelby American's problem, and Shelby American had been entranced by her right from the get go.

He had escorted her to the airport where the team tested and developed the new Ford GT, supposedly to show her around. But he was practically of no use once they reached the place. She was instantly swayed away by Phil and Charles, both of them insisting that she should see the new car. As he observed them from the back of the garage, Leo's money was on Phil recognizing the good engineer in her and wanting her to get accustomed to her new job as soon as possible and Charles just hoping to impress her enough to land a date with her.

Leo felt it then, the sting of jealousy acute and piercing in his chest. She hadn't even been with them for an hour, yet they had already embraced her as one of their own. He, on the other hand, had been walking in and out of the racing circles for a couple of years now and nonetheless he had never managed to come across as a racing man among Shelby and his team. He knew that partially maybe he was to blame too and he didn't understand why he cared so much when motorsports had never interested him before the company became involved but it didn't mean that it didn't hurt nonetheless.

“So, a little bird told me you and Evelyn there have a small rivalry going on between you.”

A brief peek over his shoulder revealed Carroll Shelby walking up to him from behind, his favorite dark sunglasses strangely not on but tucked in the hem of his light grey T-shirt and in his hands a cup of most likely tea, considering the amounts of it their lead driver seemed to consume.

Leo clenched his jaw. “Hello, Shelby.”

Said man stood beside him and without offering a greeting back, passed him the cup in his hands. It was actually coffee and totally bitter and Leo grimaced at the taste.

“So, that little bird of yours...?”

Shelby just shrugged, “I have sources...”

Causing Leo to nod, filling in the gaps in Shelby's generic response with what he already had suspected. He really hated Iacocca sometimes.

“Why would I care? She's your problem now” he shot back, hoping he actually sounded as if he didn't give a damn.

But Shelby shook his head. “I'm cheering for her to kick your butt.”

And without waiting for an answer, he stomped off towards where she and his mechanics were poking at stuff over the hood, shaking her hand and welcoming her in the team with a warm smile on his face, looking genuinely pleased to have her work for him.

Ken liked her, too. And for Ken Miles to like you, it takes more than just a charmer.

“Why don't you employ more people like her, Lenny?”

Ken had approached him, not the other way around, for the record.

“Uhh, let me guess. Maybe, and I emphasize the _maybe_ , it's because you don't care at all whether the people you hire are actually good in their jobs. All you care about is a handsome face to say your lines and then a bunch of idiots to queue out of your dealerships to buy those ugly little cars of yours.”

Ken put a hand on Leo's shoulder, drawing his attention to him, and smiled with his mouth closed. “Find the most handsome face you can, Lenny, and stick it in front of a camera. Chevy will still be better.”

Leo's shoulders hunched in defeat when Ken slapped his back as if they'd been best mates since forever, and he only managed to stutter out the few words needed to correct for the umpteenth time, “It's Leo...”

So, he had a ton of valid reasons to want her out of the Le Mans project. But the weeks he spent observing her work didn't leave a sour taste in his mouth.

Every time she was bent over an engine or lying on the floor working underneath the car, she looked to be in her element. She was methodic and didn't give up till every little detail was perfect. He found it hard to believe but this girl was more of a professional than many of her male counterparts combined in a lot of aspects.

Gradually, he also started to pay more attention not just to her job but also to _her_. She had sparkling brown eyes that were so beautiful he didn't know why he had never stood to admire them before and a smile bright like the sun that made his heart skip a beat in his chest every time she flashed him one.

It was weird and confusing and Leo hated it. He couldn't even put a label to his feelings other than pride for the company's excellent human resources.

Lee Iacocca had been the one to see through those conflicting emotions.

Leo had no idea how the hell he already seemed to know everything. The two of them had never been particularly close and every conversation they had ever had was one way or the other related to business matters and business matters alone. And yet, Lee had been able to read him like an open book back then.

They had been standing side by side in Dearborn, watching as Miles clocked up mileage, when Lee nudged him with his shoulder. “You like her.”

The simple statement had Leo turn his head to his colleague sharply, raising both eyebrows, as if he was completely clueless as to what he was talking about. “I beg your pardon?”

“That new engineer the Deuce stuck to the team? Evelyn?” Lee was now smirking at him. “You like her.”

Leo's face took on a startled expression and he pretended to find the notion absurd, even as his heart did pick up speed.

He dismissed the idea with a wave of his hand and his brows furrowed. “So, supposedly, and please remember this is nothing more than an assumption, how exactly did you figure that out?”

“It's simple” Lee shrugged his shoulders, as if it really was the most apparent thing in the whole universe. “You seem practically unable to tear your eyes from her.”

A pink stain covered Leo's cheeks and immediately Lee's smirk widened, as if this somehow confirmed his point.

He cleared his throat and looked down at the other man disapprovingly. “I don't know what you think you're seeing, Lee, but let me tell you, you're imagining things.”

And without staying to hear whatever response Lee might have, he spun on his heel and stormed away, hoping he made himself clear to the other man on the subject.

The weeks leading up to the race he paid extra attention to act the way he ought to around Evelyn and put even more distance between them. He couldn't risk his job for someone that drove him up the wall ninety percent of the time and he definitely wasn't going to prove Lee right.

He knew sooner or later he would lose that battle. 

And he did. In Le Mans.

He had spotted her from his specially reserved seat above the pits the very same second she came in sight in the garage entrance, nodding along to whatever Miles told her about. The Deuce had offered her to join them in the front rows but Shelby wanted her in the pits, knowing that he could always count on her in case something went wrong. So, she had smiled and politely declined the invitation. Leo doubted she would have liked to sit with the top brass like him anyway. She barely greeted Lee and Lee was the easiest to get on with out of them all. She wouldn't have survived twenty four hours squeezed between him and the Deuce.

Leo supported his elbow on the rails and leaned over them, adjusting to a more comfortable position as he stared at the Shelby American pits underneath. Evelyn looked nervous but at the same time excited and focused. He knew by now that she relished a challenge and from whispers he had caught here and there he also knew that it was a childhood dream of hers to race in Le Mans one day. And well, here she was. Leo couldn't imagine what kind of an emotion this must be...

“You still have time to go buy a ring and propose to her after we win” Lee stood next to him, wearing a hat and a pair of expensive sunglasses, looking like he just came to enjoy the show.

Leo groaned internally but he straightened up. “Shut up, Lee.”

And he went to find another spot to sit where he wouldn't have Iacocca's constant murmuring in his ear.

This was his second time in a race most people didn't have the chance to attend even once in their lives and yet he didn't watch the majority of it. There was no need. He could tell what was going on in the track only by looking at the expression on Evelyn's face. He saw the worry in her eyes when Miles' door wouldn't close during the opening lap. He saw the admiration as he set lap record after lap record, making up for lost ground. And he saw the utter happiness and relief when Bandini's engine gave way early the next morning.

Lee's words echoed in his ears. _You seem practically unable to tear your eyes from her._ He knew he probably should. But her joy was contagious and he simply found himself unable to avert his gaze, trying to soak up every little detail of hers to immortalize it forever in his memory. She was clinging onto Charles, letting him spin her around as Miles flew out into the lead and realization that this victory was theirs to lose started to sink in. He didn't care that she was in someone else's arms. She was happy and that was what mattered.

A sad smile crept its way onto the corner of his mouth. He might be about to shatter that perfect happiness.

While fighting sleep the previous night, an idea had presented itself in his mind and had refused to go away. Though still a bit rough around the edges, it had great potential and if he could push things slightly to go ahead with it, it might turn out to be a strong card to play for the Ford Motor Company.

But he couldn't stop thinking about Evelyn. He knew what Le Mans meant to her. And he was also painfully aware that his idea had every tiny chance to backfire and destroy her.

One brief look at the pits below and he was immediately feeling like the worst person in the whole world. She wore a broad smile on her face as she walked up and down the pit lane with a clipboard, preparing for the final stage of the race, finally relaxed and at peace with the way things were unfolding. It felt like a stab at Leo's heart and he had to look away.

If everything went according to his plan, Miles might not win the race. And the man himself might brush it off and move on but he had a feeling Evelyn wouldn't be able to just bite the bullet. In fact, he was pretty sure it would crush her. Could he really do that to her? Could he really be so cruel as to pry her heart from her chest and break it into a million tiny pieces?

But he had gone to war with Henry, he had promised him to always have his company as his absolute priority. Winning Le Mans wasn't about anyone's dreams or aspirations. It was about Ford and promoting their cars to a wider range of people at the other side of the pond. Right now, Miles and his team were shadowing a Ford car significantly. He couldn't allow that.

Leo turned to his boss abruptly. “You know, I was thinking, Mr Ford...”

Convincing the Deuce about his plan had been the easy part. Delivering the news to Shelby American was what had required Leo to kill half of himself and walk ahead.

Shelby didn't take it well. He had an outburst when Leo told him that the Deuce wanted Miles to slow down. He threw his coffee at him, yelled at him and then yelled some more when he threatened to ask Miles personally... But just by looking at him, Leo knew that as far as he was concerned Shelby wouldn't be a problem.

“Mr Beebe!”

Leo's eyes snapped wide and his heart picked up speed. He should have seen this coming, he should have expected that she would run after him. Evelyn had a bit of a racer's heart in her, after all. How could he expect her to settle with something like this when victory was so well within her reach?

He half turned around to face her, plastering the most neutral expression he could muster. “Can I help you, Ms Dolan?”

“Why are you doing this?” Evelyn cut to the chase, a frown etched deep between her eyebrows, clearly not understanding politics.

Leo just shrugged a shoulder, acting nonchalantly. “I am politely asking of Miles to not be selfish and be a team player for once. I thought you and your associates value team work.”

“I work for Ken, not your company, Mr Beebe.” She was now regarding him with cold eyes, having read his ultimate motives between the lines, and Leo felt something twist uncomfortably in his chest under her intense stare.

Evelyn took a step back and extended a finger towards the track. “Look me in the eye and tell me Ken isn't the best racer you have seen.”

Leo shifted his weight to one leg and gazed back at her with equal hatred, the words flowing down his tongue naturally after years of practice. “I don't know what you think you've signed up for, Ms Dolan, but the Ford Motor Company is not a driver academy. We don't nurture talents. We build cars. And if a Ford wins today, all credit should go to the car, not the driver.”

“You don't get this, do you?” Evelyn shook her head at him, her voice a quiet hiss. “You have three of your damn cars racing out there and Ken is laps ahead. The other two can't even catch him if you don't order him to slow down because it's not the car, it's him. And if you can't see that, maybe you don't deserve him to win with your badge on his chest.”

Then, she spun on her heel and stormed back to the pits.

And Leo was left with the awkward task of informing his boss that the matter had been taken care of. He was rewarded with a thankful smile and a praise but the idea had lost its shine. He had hurt Evelyn and he knew it. He held onto the tiny grain of hope that maybe Miles would defy the order or that somehow they could all be happy in the end.

But he knew he was only fooling himself.

He was lucky in a sense that Shelby was in charge. He told Ken to do whatever he deemed right with the car. Evelyn would have told him to keep going. Though, at this point, Leo might actually prefer that.

Miles had slowed down. The historical photo in the finish line had been taken and the Fords were one, two and three. But the win hadn't gone to Miles.

Leo had almost been met with a punch in the face before Lee threw himself between him and Shelby, telling them to man up and that there were cameras all over the place. Leo wasn't going to be angry at the man. He had just deprived his team of a certain victory, he could understand the reaction and in all honesty, he was sure he would have done the same had he been in Shelby's shoes. And although he didn't particularly fancy ending up with a black eye, the fury he received from Shelby was a hell lot better than the dead silence from Evelyn's side.

He wanted to find her after the race, talk to her, apologize and assure that it was never his intention to hurt her. But she was nowhere to be seen, either blending in with the crowds or having skipped off the moment Bruce McLaren had been declared the winner, and so all the words got stuck in Leo's throat.

Losing himself in post race celebrations with the team had been a way to keep his brain occupied so that it didn't wander off back to her. The buzz of victory still humming in his bones, he spent the majority of the night shaking hands and exchanging smiles and congratulatory words with various Ford employees. It didn't feel right. It felt as if something was missing. But at least whoever hosted the party kept supplying them with drinks and so he had ended up drowning his sorrows and had managed to forget about her.

But only for a moment.

He walked back to his hotel room well past midnight and slightly tripping over his feet. Now that the earlier high had washed away, he was back to feeling just miserable. He loosened his tie and poured himself a glass of fine wine, even though there was already more than enough alcohol flowing in his veins.

He took his drink outside to the balcony with him. It was cold, even through his blazer, and the air around him had a wet scent in it, as if it was going to rain. Leo didn't mind. As a matter of fact, he quite liked it. It helped him feel grounded and not as if he'd been floating like when he had walked through his door a few minutes prior. It cleared his head and helped him think as straight as he could after all the champagne he had downed.

Unsurprisingly, he was still thinking about the race. He didn't regret his decision, he knew it was the right thing to do for the company. But he didn't seem to care about the company right now, he cared about Evelyn and he wondered whether that was a bad thing. He wondered whether Lee was actually right that day in Dearborn and his priorities had changed indeed...

Sighing, he looked for a distraction down at the tiled road, expecting to find it deserted and quiet. And he froze. She was standing there, in the hotel entrance, looking distant and her eyes fixed at the night sky as if searching for something invisible there. He knew he wasn't hallucinating because he blinked and blinked again but she didn't disappear. She was real.

Leo panicked. He had to get to her. He had to talk to her and if she didn't understand, then he could at least find comfort in the fact that he had tried. But he had to do _something_.

So, he discarded his wine on the nearest flat surface and ran down the stairs as fast as he could.

Hearing commotion behind her, Evelyn turned her head to him and under the pale moonlight Leo could clearly see that although she wasn't sobbing, there were definitely tears streaming down her cheeks.

He slowed his steps, dragging in rapid breaths through his nose to calm himself down, and looked at her more carefully. She was wrapped in a thick dark green coat, her hair a bit of a mess and considering that her nose had turned pink, she must had been out here for a while.

He paused next to her and shot her a sideways glance, waiting for her to talk, which was ridiculous since he was the one with some explaining to do.

“Ken didn't want to cry.” Her voice was barely above a whisper and her lips were quivering. She shook her head with a bit of self pity, “But I couldn't keep it together anymore.”

Leo squirmed, pressing a little closer as the urge to touch her and make all the pain go away grew bigger by the second. “I'm sorry.”

It sounded pathetic even to his own ears. Those weren't a pair of magic words and he couldn't just snap his fingers and fix everything. And when Evelyn tilted her head back a little and her lips curled up slightly into a broken smile, he knew that nothing he could ever say would make this okay. He even noted an edge of mockery under the surface.

“What am I supposed to do with that?”

Leo shoved a hand through his dirty blond hair and averted his eyes, feeling uncomfortable all of a sudden. He had prepared an entire speech in his head to make amends for his actions at the track but under her intense glare he barely seemed to be able to remember his name or what country he was in.

“I never meant for you to get hurt.”

Despite being a brilliant engineer, she didn't do the math straight away. “A lot of people got hurt. What makes me so special?”

Leo sighed, the humidity in the air immediately turning it into mist, and he decided to be true to his feelings. “I care for you.”

“Well, you have a nice way of _caring._ ”

Really, he had braced himself for whatever she might throw at him. He was certain he could handle it. But that dry laugh and its sarcastic tone as she snapped that right into his face just tipped Leo over the edge and he replied with a huff of his own.

“Would you rather I took you in my arms and kissed you into the next morning?”

The moment the words slipped from his mouth and his ears rang with the echo of them, Leo wished he could take them back. Evelyn was now staring at him, her eyes wide and a look of utter shock on her face, and unable to do anything about it, Leo just mirrored her expression and blinked back at her uselessly.

The silence stretched on between them...

Leo sensed her move next to him, trying to take a step back, and purely on instinct he grabbed her wrist. “Evelyn, please...”

Her fingers were cold and he cupped them between his palms, blowing on them to warm them up. He risked a glance at her and their eyes met. Evelyn's ones were indecisive and almost scared but she released her hand from his grip and hesitantly reached up to stroke his clean, shaven cheek very softly.

Leo's heart did a flip in his chest and he nuzzled in her palm.

“Please...” he repeated, gaining confidence in his voice now that she was responding but it still wasn't much louder than a whisper. “I know what I did isn't an easy thing to forgive and I hate that my decisions hurt you... But I promise, if you're willing to give us this chance, next year the car is yours.”

Evelyn's thumb stilled in his smooth skin and she stared at him solemnly. “If we're to do this next year too, then we'll do it without corporate games. Each man for himself. I grew up at the race tracks and that's how racing works. And more often than not, it's the right call.”

Leo nodded. He still had no idea how to manage a racing team, all he cared about whenever the Fords went racing was ensuring the company's best interests. But under her guidance and help, he had no doubt that he could progress into a great leader for that team. He could become a racing man. In the meantime, he had no qualms to grant her authority over that car.

His eyes locked on her lips and he practically felt the moment her breath hitched in her throat in anticipation. It sent a shiver down his spine. Now that the air was clear between them as far as the race was concerned, he craved more. So, he closed the last bit of distance between them and pressed their lips together.

Her lips were soft and tasting like strawberry and everything he had imagined them to be. Only it was much better and she was really kissing him back and he squeezed his eyes closed.

The touch was clumsy and tentative at first, and it shouldn't be because they both weren't rookies. But soon their inhibitions started to fly away. Leo cupped the side of her neck, feeling the goosebumps that covered the sensitive skin under his palm, and Evelyn's fingers slipped between his short hair as she arched up to him instinctively and let him deepen the kiss.

Leo's knees almost buckled underneath him and heat spread all over him when she opened her mouth, causing their tongues to meet and gently push each other. He was fumbling for more skin to expose, his fingers trailing circles under her coat, but simply this silky feeling was enough to set him on fire, leave him aching for more. His hand moved to tug at the nape of her neck and angle her head for better access, unable to get enough of her taste and wanting to savor every bit of it.

What had started as a plain press of skin against skin was definitely turning way too intimate for them to remain outside any longer.

A hotel room was all they had available but Leo promised to do the best job possible for the two of them, given the circumstances. And he did. _Twice._

He had claimed her thoroughly and tenderly and she had utterly loved it, if the way she moaned his name was anything to go by.

Afterwards, they were lying in each other's arms, tangled in cotton bed sheets, their breaths mingling and sweat cooling off on their skin, and Leo stroked her hair, cooing all sorts of sweet nothings over the top of her head and apologizing if he hurt her. But Evelyn reached a hand up to slowly trace the shape of his eyebrows, then the bridge of his nose and finally across his lips, and she chuckled softly.

“Leo... It's all in the past now. And I've been waiting a long time for this.”

She was regarding him with warmth filled eyes, pliant in his hold and refused to go to sleep, although they were both dead tired. Instead, she was caressing his face and hair, trying to lose herself into the moment, and Leo practically had to beg her to give in to her exhaustion and finally close her eyes. But pure, blissful happiness was brewing in his chest and he could definitely get used to this being his routine.

Back then, he couldn't even possibly imagine what the future held for them. But Evelyn Dolan has truly proved to be a blessing in disguise. She has changed him, made a brand new man out of him. He's finding more reasons to smile nowadays, he has started to see people behind those cars instead of just number figures, and even Shelby's team have now lifted their ban on him. Leo would be lying if he claimed he didn't feel just a tiny bit of smugness about that final thing.

He gets to see Evelyn's smile every day now and that mischievous glint in her eyes, reserved for when it's just the two of them tangled between bed sheets in the dark. He knows one day she's going to conquer the world and he'll be cheering for her from the sidelines. He can't possibly ask for something more, can he?

Currently, she has dragged him to Riverside where Miles and a few selective members of his crew are unofficially testing the new GT, and although he's literally burning under the sun, there's no place he'd rather be right now. Evelyn is happy here and by extension that makes him happy, too.

“Hey, Leo, you coming for a ride?”

Leo blinks back from his haze, finding Evelyn smiling invitingly at him, with her hair pulled into a neat ponytail at the base of her neck and a helmet already strapped over her head.

He smiles at her light heartedly. “My darling, you really don't want me in the same race car with Miles.”

Miles who of course doesn't miss a thing and shouts at him over the roof of the car, “We'd take you with us, Lenny, but unfortunately we don't have a spare pants for you and the seats are a little difficult to clean.”

Leo gives him a mock thumbs up. “Very funny, Ken.” Before remembering, “It's Leo for you!”

Miles, though, revs the engine loudly, pretending he doesn't hear him.

He should just make Lenny his middle name.

“Sometimes I feel like the only adult in a kindergarten” Shelby mutters somewhere near him and Leo just shrugs innocently.

Evelyn laughs and kisses him and that's far more important than Shelby's moods. “Grow up, Leo.”

He kisses her again because it definitely hadn't been enough. “Have fun.”

“I will” she promises before beaming at Shelby. “We're going to smash the lap record!”

She slips in next to Miles, doing quick work on her belts, and Leo pushes the door closed, waving them off, literally a second before Miles floors it. Gravel flies up as the wheels struggle for grip, the car taking off, and the high rpms of the engine send a shudder down Leo's spine. But knowing that Evelyn is most likely having the time of her life in there brings a small smile on his face.

“She has you wrapped around her little finger, huh?” Shelby teases, pouring them cold lemonade, and it earns him a glare from Leo.

“Shut up, Shelby.”

But he does move over, grabbing a glass for himself, and when he sniffs at it, Shelby knows he's looking for something stronger.

“Hey. No alcohol today” he admonishes and the expression on his face tells Leo this is final and any effort of arguing would probably be just a waste of energy. “Ken brought Peter. We should be a good example.”

“I'm perfectly fine with lemonade!” Leo furrows his brow scandalized that Shelby implied he has an alcohol problem. He doesn't, he just knows how to appreciate a good whiskey.

“Mr Shelby, can I come to Le Mans this year?” they hear a small voice near them and they both turn to look at where Peter is watching his dad's car with his binoculars.

“We'll see, Petey” Shelby promises, making the boy smile.

Leo seems unable to draw his eyes off the child. “He'll make a good engineer.”

He has caught Peter with Evelyn more than a few times and even though he's by no means an expert, the kid seems to have a natural understanding when it comes to cars. Sometimes, Evelyn would lend him her tools and Peter would immediately be fiddling with a component, or she would do repair work and he would watch her, asking questions here and there, soaking up every word she told him like a sponge.

It makes Leo want all of this on his own.

“In a few years time and if he wants it, why not?” Shelby agrees, shrugging a shoulder.

His gaze is still on Peter but when he turns back to Leo, he realizes his mind has wandered off and guessing to where exactly, a soft smile finds its way onto his lips.

He takes a sip from his glass of lemonade. “So, tell me, any progress in your plans?”

At that, Leo perks up immediately. “I was thinking, actually... I want to take her back to her hometown, maybe around Christmas...”

“Some sort of a romantic you are” Shelby comments, smirk never dropping from his face and although there's a decent amount of sarcasm in it, Leo knows he's happy for them. “So, what's next on the list? Digging a diamond ring out of your pocket and kneeling down on one knee?”

Shelby might have just summed up his plan.

A faint blush that's actually kinda cute adorns Leo's cheekbones and he tries to cover it up with a chuckle. “Hell, no! She will never say yes if there's a diamond on the ring.”

So, they could joke around, live in their happy little bubble and their false sense of security and pretend that everything is going to be just fine. But all it takes for that bubble to burst is one split second and a burning car.

It hits them, then. Loud as the explosion and eye blurring as hot, destructive fire, and they both jump to their feet.

Phil is the first to react, screaming at Charles to grab an extinguisher and run to help.

The commotion alerts Shelby and he turns to Leo numbly. “Stay with Peter.”

He doesn't recalll responding to this in any way. But somehow he ends up with an arm around the boy's shoulders, whispering in his ear that it's going to be alright and all the while praying that he gets to see Evelyn's beautiful face one more time.

His heart is hurting his ribcage. He needs to run to her, drag her out of that burning car, just do _something._ But he can only stand to the side and watch as Shelby and his men race to reach her and Miles. And he feels weak, useless...

He squints his eyes against the blinding sunlight and searches for the tiniest sign of life between the debris. But there's no human there, only smoke and flames and the seconds are ticking down...

When Shelby stops and looks firstly at Peter and then slowly up at him, Leo knows. It's not going to be enough.

He closes his eyes, grits his teeth and bites his lips... But the brave facade soon falters and his body shakes with sobs that follow one another incessantly as a heavy feeling lodges itself in the pit of his stomach. It feels as if the world is spinning and this is all a nightmare conjured up by his brain. But his legs are very much stationary and the tears flowing all the way down to his jaw painfully real. He just wants to hold her hand one last time, tell her he loves her and then maybe he could let her go.

But he knows it's impossible.

He reaches a hand up to ruffle his hair, tugging the ends till it hurts, then tries to brush away the tears. But fresh ones cascade down his cheeks immediately and at this point he's not even sure they will ever stop.

Someone wraps themselves around his waist and Leo gazes down, vaguely through his tears recognizing Peter's dark curls against his shirt. The boy obviously has grasped the severity of the situation and the fact that there's no going back now but whether he needs someone to support him through his loss or he has sensed his pain and is trying to be a source of comfort, Leo can't tell. He tightens his grip, either way.

“It's going to be alright, Mr Beebe” Peter repeats his earlier words and Leo presses his lips as firmly together as he can so as not to scream in despair.

Together, they watch their loved ones turn into smoke and ash...

* * *

The cutlery rattles all together as Leo rifles through a drawer in the kitchen, eventually fishing out a bottle opener, and then reaches for some expensive whiskey on one of the top shelves. The cork pops open with a satisfying sound and Leo drops the kitchen tool back into the drawer and immediately goes for a large swig. He doesn't bother with a glass, knowing that he probably will end up downing the whole thing, and walks back to his living room.

He settles down on the sofa and grabs the stack of photos lying on the coffee table. The corners have started to fold up and the color has been smudged off here and there after six months of constant use but Leo cherishes them as if they are his current most valuable possession. And in some respects they really are.

He traces his thumb over the first photo gently and his lips move upwards in a sad smile, his eyes watering. He loves those photos and he hadn't even been the one to take them. Credit goes to a photographer the Deuce had hired back in Le Mans and when Leo found out about their existence, he had personally hunted down the man. It had cost him an arm and a leg to acquire them but it was worth it because right now they are the only thing he has to cling onto.

The first picture was clearly taken before the start of the race in Shelby American's pits and it shows Evelyn talking to Phil. Her face is tense, there's a frown of concentration between her brows and Leo is pretty sure that if he could follow the line of her sight, it would lead back to where the car was being prepared. That car was everything she lived and breathed for and in a very macabre sense, Leo thinks it's fitting that she died trying to make it faster.

The second picture had been taken during the night phase of the race and Evelyn's face was contorted with worry. She was standing in the garage entrance, wrapped in her bright blue team jacket, her lips slightly parted and tiny raindrops trapped between her eyelashes, twinkling. She had a silky beauty in her and Leo would give everything just to see it one last time.

The third picture is his personal favorite. Evelyn was leaning against the barriers in it, a wide grin on her face as Miles stormed out onto the lead behind her.

It gives Leo a pauses. Her smile had been and remains to this day the most beautiful thing he has seen in his life. It wasn't only the fact that it made her eyes look even bigger than they already were, her cheeks rosy and full of life. It was mostly the effect it had on people. If Evelyn Dolan had smiled your way just once, then you knew that everything was going to be alright.

Only that nothing feels like it's going to be alright at the moment. Leo is hurting, his chest is numb and his heart feels like it's tearing in two every time he thinks of her. Every little detail reminds him of her; how she liked her coffee, how she would hum along to the radio, how she would pout at the TV and illustrious sports magazines that Ferraris are meant to be red...

It still feels odd to live with the knowledge that he will never see her again do any of this. It has been six months. He was supposed to have grown accustomed to reality by now. But each day he spends having to guess what his life could be if she was still here feels like slipping a little deeper into darkness. And if he keeps going like this, Leo isn't so sure he can climb out afterwards.

“You're not doing yourself any good by living like this” someone calls next to him as if knowing what kind of thoughts are swirling in his brain right now.

Leo doesn't have to look up to know who his visitor is. “What are you doing here, Lee?”

Iacocca has been the only one to stand by him these last six months. Admittedly, not many people were aware of the nature of his relationship with Evelyn and those who did are mourning themselves. And though Leo hasn't really taken up on the support Lee offers, sometimes it feels nice to know that someone cares.

“The door was unlocked” Lee explains, awkwardly spinning his cream hat between his fingers, looking like he doesn't want to be here but then again feels obliged to. “Look, Leo, you can't keep doing this to yourself. It's been six months. Life goes on.”

Leo rolls his head so fast at him that for a brief second Lee fears he might have just hurt his neck. “You're engaged, Lee” he accuses and it makes Lee hide his engagement ring with his other palm. “So, don't come here and preach me about life going on because you have no idea.”

“You're right” Lee agrees calmly, raising both his eyebrows. “I don't. But I'm here if you want to talk, to take it off your chest...”

Leo glares at him. “Did I ask for you to be here?”

“I'm being your friend” Lee offers, shrugging like it's no big deal but apparently it's not enough.

“Did I ask for you to be my friend?”

Lee smiles ruefully. “Not really.”

Leo would never ask for a friend, he's too proud a man to do that.

“Has my performance at work gone down?”

Lee shakes his head. “No.”

If anything, Leo's work performance and efficiency has skyrocketed since Evelyn died, especially when it comes to the Le Mans project. Lee isn't sure whether his job is a means of taking his mind off things for Leo or whether he's trying to finish what Evelyn started but it certainly has earned him plenty of compliments from the Deuce and another zero in his bank account or two.

“Do I have some sort of an addiction?”

Lee has to think about that a little longer.

“No” he says eventually.

Although, by the looks of it, he's certainly working towards it.

“Do I look like I need medication?”

“No.”

“Am I a threat to others?”

“No.”

“Am I suicidal?”

“No.”

“THEN TAKE THE HELL OUT OF HERE!” Leo finally snaps and Lee nods very slowly, taking the hint that his presence is no longer welcome here.

“Fine, I'll leave” he relents and Leo points with his eyes towards the door, urging him to get on with it. “But Evelyn wouldn't be proud of you if she could see you now.”

That actually hits a nerve. With wide eyes, Leo turns to look at him but the door is already echoing after Lee and soon his car is also swerving out of his driveway, plunging the house into its earlier misery.

A strangled sob escapes him. His throat feels suspiciously tight. His vision blurs with tears, and Leo presses the balls of his palms into his eyes till they feel numb. He doesn't want to cry. Not today, not again. He has done that enough for the past six months. Today, he only wants to breathe.

When the threat of tears slowly passes, Leo finds that he doesn't feel anything. No pain, no sudden urge to drown his sorrows into alcohol, just nothing. He feels empty, as if he's floating, his thoughts are on mute, and he welcomes this as a positive change.

With trembling fingers, he picks up the photo where she's smiling and stares at it again. She looks so bright and sunny, as if nothing can touch her, and yet the sky came crashing down on her. But maybe Lee is right. This doesn't need to be the end at all.

Leo reaches for the bottle of whiskey next to him and without lifting his eyes from the picture, he raises it slightly, toasting to her happy face.

“Cheers, my darling.”

**Author's Note:**

> This story means a lot to me so please leave a kudo or a comment if you enjoyed! ❤️


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